Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health System Expert
Organizational Context
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the UN's directing and coordinating authority on international health, upholding values of integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity. WHO Bangladesh supports the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Directorate General of Health Services in strengthening the health system for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health. This involves enhancing service delivery, primary healthcare integration, essential medicines, health information systems, and workforce capacity to translate national policies into practical actions.
Job Purpose
This role supports WHO Bangladesh in strengthening the implementation of priority noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health interventions within the health sector, focusing on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The expert will provide crucial technical, operational, and coordination support to government units to advance NCD and mental health priorities. This includes health-system strengthening, service delivery improvements, primary healthcare integration, essential medicines management, health information systems, workforce development, and programme monitoring. The objective is to translate agreed priorities into practical implementation actions, identify and address bottlenecks, facilitate technical inputs, monitor progress, and ensure timely completion of activities, thereby strengthening the overall health system's response.
Responsibilities
Provide technical, operational, and coordination support to WHO and government counterparts for strengthening NCD and mental health interventions within MOHFW and DGHS. Focus on health-system strengthening, primary healthcare integration, essential medicines, health information systems, workforce capacity, service delivery, emergency preparedness, and healthy ageing. Coordinate WHO technical inputs, support implementation planning and follow-up, track progress, identify bottlenecks, and document results. Offer targeted support for selected NCD Joint Declaration/MSAP actions linked to the health sector. Key duties include translating NCD and mental health priorities into workplans and actions, coordinating technical inputs, maintaining implementation trackers, identifying gaps, preparing reports and analyses, and supporting multisectoral action. Deliverables include workplans, trackers, technical reports, and inputs for consolidated reporting on NCD and mental health actions.
Work Experience
Requires at least seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in public health, noncommunicable diseases, mental health, health-system strengthening, programme implementation, monitoring, service delivery, or government coordination. Experience with MOHFW, DGHS, WHO, UN agencies, or development partners is highly desirable. Demonstrated experience in public health programme implementation, coordination, and translating policies into actions is essential. Familiarity with NCD prevention and control, health-system strengthening, and primary healthcare approaches is needed.
Skills
Key competencies include teamwork, clear communication, planning and organizing, stakeholder coordination, results orientation, problem-solving, and adaptability. Technical expertise in NCDs, mental health, and health-system strengthening is crucial. Proficiency in project management, programme development, and strategy implementation is also important. Strong computer literacy and experience with collaboration tools are required.